Nico Hoerner doubled in a run against his former teammate Kyle Hendricks, and the Chicago Cubs held on for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep at Angel Stadium.
Hoerner and Matt Shaw each had two hits to back starter Jameson Taillon (9-6), who gave up one run across five innings as the Cubs improved to 8-2 in their last 10 games and secured their third straight series win. Daniel Palencia survived a ninth-inning scare to lock down his 20th save.
Taylor Ward provided the power for Los Angeles, hitting his 30th homer of the season in the first inning — the first time he has reached the 30-HR milestone in his career. He later added an RBI double as part of a two-RBI night.
Hendricks (6-9), making his first career start against the Cubs after spending 11 years with the franchise and helping them win the 2016 World Series, allowed four runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two.
Chicago tied the game in the third with a Kyle Tucker RBI single, then took the lead in the fourth on Hoerner’s double. The Cubs chased Hendricks in the fifth with two more runs: a Pete Crow-Armstrong sacrifice fly and a Carson Kelly RBI single that stretched the lead to 4-1.
The Angels rallied in the sixth, cutting the deficit to one on Ward’s RBI double and Luis Rengifo’s run-scoring grounder, but their offense stalled from there.
Key Moment:
In the ninth, Palencia walked the potential go-ahead run with one out but responded with back-to-back strikeouts — fanning rookie Christian Moore on a full-count 99.9 mph heater before striking out Bryce Teodosio to end the game.
Key Stat:
Kyle Tucker dominated the series, going 5-for-12 with three homers and seven RBI after returning from a three-game rest the week prior.
Up Next:
The Angels return home to face the Texas Rangers on Monday, sending José Soriano (8-9, 4.00 ERA) to the mound. The Cubs head to San Francisco for a Tuesday series opener; their starter has not yet been announced.
